Fishermans pie with crayfish and squash mash

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Ready for the topping

A variation on the standard offering with crayfish tails, prawns and the economical, but tasty smoked hoki topped with butternut squash mash.

Ingredients

• 245 g (9 oz) skinless smoked hoki fillets (haddock would be fine)
• 85 g (3½ oz) crayfish tails
• 50 g (2 oz) peeled prawns
• 1 small onion, peeled and very finely chopped
• 300 ml (0.52 pint) milk
• 3 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Splash of Tabasco sauce
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 thinly sliced pickled egg (optional) - mine have orange skins because they have been pickled in Tabasco chillies!
• 750 g of squash mash

Mise en place

• Preheat the oven to 190° C (375° F - Gas 5)

Method

1. Add the very finely chopped onions, milk to a pan and bring in to a simmer
2. Tip in the butter, flour and stir briskly to break the flour up - don't worry it won't go lumpy.
3. Add the cheese, splash of Tabasco and season with salt and pepper
4. Simmer until it thickens and remove from the heat and stir in the parsley
5. Chop the hoki into strips
6. Pour the cheesy sauce into an oven dish and distribute the hoki strips.
7. Add the peeled prawns and crawfish and arraneg the slices of pickled egg on top if using.
8. With a pallett knife, spread the squash mash over the top of the fish mixture, fluff up with a fork
9. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes

Serving suggestions

Serve hot with peas.

Variations

Grate a little Parmesan cheese over the top before baking.